Child on Child Sexual Abuse



Child on Child Sexual Abuse

Findings of Gabriel Myers Work Group

(Answers)

I. Labeling of Sexual Behaviors

1. Terminology Matters – A Lot:

The term “sexual behavior problem” should be used in the child welfare setting to identify children who engage in sexual behavior that is not typical for age and not easily redirected. Unless a child has been charged with a crime, or has had a professional assessment that ascribes a cause or motivation for conduct, the other terms are not appropriate.

Sexual offender refers to persons who have been charged or convicted of a sexual offense. Sexual predator likewise requires a specific judicial determination after conviction.

Sexually reactive means that the conduct displayed is caused by the child’s prior experience

DCF OP 175-88 uses the term “Alleged Juvenile Sexual Offender” to refer to children 12 and under who are alleged to have committed violations of Florida statutes 794 (Sexual Battery), 796 (Prostitution), 800 (Lewdness), 827 (Child Abuse) and 847.0133 (Showing Obscene Material to Minor).

2.* Not Likely. While the children who are sexually aggressive toward others have often been the victims of sexual abuse, most children who are sexually abused do not sexually abuse other children.

a. All are risk factors.

b. Even without intervention only 2-15% are likely to re-offend. Youth who have 5 or more acts of non-sexual delinquent/criminal behavior are twice as likely to re-offend as their peers.

c. Appropriate intervention services are effective at reducing recidivism even further.

II. Identification, Screening & Assessment

3. These are trick questions as there is no uniform system for identifying and tracking these issues.

a. * Reports to the abuse hotline (for all children, not just those in care) for fiscal year 08-09 showed 4,383 alleged victims and 3,961 children alleged to have sexual behavior problems. This was down from the highest point in five years, 07-08 which showed 5,226 alleged victims and 4,697 alleged children with sexual behavior problems. These numbers are not purported to be accurate due to a variety of changes in procedures and other factors.

b.# Broward County which has employed an alert system for several years reported in November, 2009 that 658 of approximately 1000 children in licensed care in Broward County have sexual behavior alerts: 20 are sexual offenders, 62 are sexually reactive, 126 are Sexually Reactive without Sexual Aggression and 444 are Sexual Abuse Victims (D alert).  

4. Unless you are in the Broward or Alachua, your CBC might not have any tracking system.

5. There is no uniform system that applies to this question, but when in doubt, the caseworker is the front line person responsible for ensuring the child’s well-being and should make sure that the information is shared.

6. All children are supposed to have a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Assessment shortly after entering into state care. Specific psychological, psychosexual or psychiatric assessments can be requested as needed. Caseworkers can request a subsequent CBHA. Medicaid will pay for one in a calendar year if the child’s condition warrants. (E.g. serious behavioral problems or history of placement instability).

Trauma Informed Care

7. All of the answers are correct except a. It is very important to fully disclose the child’s situation to potential caregivers and assist them in dealing with safety concerns up front.

8. If you have not yet participated in training on Trauma Informed care, there are plenty of opportunities available. There is an extensive inter-agency initiative on trauma informed care, so there are many live seminars as well as several trainings available on the USF Center for the Advancement of Child Welfare information portal. .

9. * Children often deny having been sexually abused or recant previous admissions. There are a variety of reasons. We know that victims of sexual abuse suffer depression, low self esteem, anxiety, guilt, depression, anger and hostility. They may have external motivations relating to their living situations, economic conditions and separation from loved ones.

10. b, trauma script. There is no evidence based practice that all victims of trauma must review every facet of the traumatic event in order to recover.

Training, Certification and Competency of Professionals

11. The only existing credential in Florida is Certified Juvenile Sex Offender Therapist, Fla. Stat. 491.0144 sets out who can use that designation which is required to treat children convicted of sexual offenses. There is currently no state agency that enforces that law. Also, there is no certification related to treating young children who have been sexually abused and/or who display sexually abusive behavior.

12. Is the provider a licensed mental health provider? Do they have experience treating children with sexual behavior problems and how many children have they assessed and/or treated? Are they a Clinical Member of ATSA (Association of the Treatment of Sexual Abusers)? What recent trainings have they attended or presented at? If treating adolescents, are they a Certified Juvenile Sex Offender Therapist? Can I have a copy of your resume and references? How many children with sexual abuse and/or behavior problems are you currently treating? What percent of your practice is dedicated towards working with children with sexual behavior problems?

13. Sexual Abuse Intervention Networks operate in Broward and Hillsborough Counties. They bring community partners together to discuss current needs of youth, share resources and work together to solve community problems.

14. Task Forces operate in the Northeast and SunCoast Regions of DCF – they are multidisciplinary groups that focus on prevention, training and intervention/treatment. Currently, these Task Forces are made up of volunteer members/agencies and are not funded or supported by the state.

* The Work Group received research from a variety of sources, but the most comprehensive compilation is in the Child on Child Sexual Abuse Needs Assessment White Paper prepared for DCF by the Justice Research Center, Inc. Support for the answers marked with an asterisk can be found in that paper

# Taken from training materials provided by ChildNet at a public meeting in December, 2009 “Alerts Training: Review of Safety Procedures and Guidelines.”

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download